Lighting up a dark kitchen and living room -
Tori
3 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (10)
Amy Hughes
3 years agotncatgirl
3 years agoRelated Discussions
open up wall between kitchen and living room
Comments (10)Thanks for your feedback! Of note: our contractor did not think he would be able to relocate the heat vent without major expense and also going into the floor upstairs. The drain pipe is going to be looked at by a plumber tomorrow. We don’t want to sink a ton of money into the project so options are somewhat limited. With a support beam being added where the wall is being opened, it doesn’t leave room to the route the plumbing or vent. We aren’t doing the work ourselves, the contractor just opened up the drywall today to find the surprise vent. :)...See More1928 Tudor: Paint? Accent? ...to lighten up dark antique living room?
Comments (1)Do you have any inspiration photos? What kind of mini-events? It looks like you are in the middle of rearranging things. If you want advice on decluttering, just start a new post. Here are three ways to brighten up the space: -prune trees and shrubs that may have overgrown the windows -add floor lighting in corners with $25 can lights pointed up to highlight the walls and woodwork. -replace small plug-in wall lights and ceiling lights with larger statement pieces, either new or refurbished. A grand chandelier will set the stage. If you want some quick and fun guides to attention-getting AirBnB decor, try watching the Malibu beach house episode of "Stay Here" on Netflix. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23357311...See Moredo dark colors "soak" up the sun and make a room 'feel' dark?
Comments (13)There are many expamples of rooms with dark walls that work beautifully. It is unusual to have an entire home with dark walls. Usually when you have a room with dark walls you compensate with light flooring and furniture, light trim, light artwork and light window coverings, ceiling. It isn't like you are placing black furniture in a black room. Usually you also don't paint the entire home with dark walls - it is reserved for the rooms where you want more drama or can work the look. Good lighting is necessary in dark rooms, it is also necessary in light rooms to make the colors sing and necessary wherever you do any activity where lighting is needed . . . in other words every room needs good lighting. Since these guys are first time home owners, they probably don't have the funds to gut the house, so before picking a paint color that they love and want, they need to look at all the things that have to stay in the house (can't afford to replace any time soon). They also need to look at all the items that they love and want to keep in their home (art, sculpture, furniture). and pick a color palette that works with those elements. If they are just painting they will need to work with existing flooring, counter tops, cabinets, furniture, window coverings, art work . . . Picking colors can't be done in isolation. Everything in your home comes together as a beautiful quilt of textures and fabrics and colors and styles. You can't just take a random handful of scraps from Joanne fabric and expect to make it look beautiful together any more that you can randomly go into a clothing store and buy any pair of pants and any shirt off the rack and expect that by some miracle it will fit you perfectly and create the perfect look that makes you feel like a 10 walking out the door....See MoreLighting/paint for a large dark living/dining room in an old house?
Comments (16)Just a few personal opinions: Many New England homes have 8' ceilings; the 1905 I grew up in had 8 1/2. Pot lights at that height are visually jarring to me and compromise the serenity of an expanse of ceiling. Also, people tend to put in too many because once they decide on that option, more is not excessively costly. The result is a runway look. For an early 1900's home you're dealing with plaster and lath unless someone already tore it out. Once you make holes in that, you can lose the plaster - especially on a ceiling it can pull away from the lath. Then, dusty reno mess and call the sheet rockers....See Moredecoenthusiaste
3 years agohappyleg
3 years agoirol96
3 years agoTori
3 years agoTori
3 years agoJennifer K
3 years agoPatricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
Related Stories
LIVING ROOMSFireplaces Light Up the 10 Most Popular New Living Rooms
These trending living room photos feature a range of decor styles, but they all include an eye-catching fireplace
Full StoryLIVING ROOMSRoom of the Day: A Vancouver Living Room Awash in Light
White surfaces and Scandinavian midcentury modern-inspired decor freshen up a once-dark living space
Full StoryROOM OF THE DAYRoom of the Day: Right-Scaled Furniture Opens Up a Tight Living Room
Smaller, more proportionally fitting furniture, a cooler paint color and better window treatments help bring life to a limiting layout
Full StoryROOM OF THE DAYRoom of the Day: A Living Room Stretches Out and Opens Up
Expanding into the apartment next door gives a family of 5 more room in their New York City home
Full StoryLIVING ROOMSRoom of the Day: Color Wakes Up a Living Room
A modern blue, gray and orange rug is at the center of a redesign that embraces the homeowners’ art collection
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: A Dark Kitchen Brightens Up
A cooking space honors the past while embracing the present
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESRoom of the Day: Color Cheers Up a California Living Room
A couple’s eclectic city style brightens a suburban bungalow
Full StoryLIVING ROOMSRoom of the Day: Jewel Tones Wake Up a Narrow Living Room
Bright colors and playful patterns turn up the volume in a Seattle townhouse
Full StoryKITCHEN MAKEOVERSBold Blues Perk Up a Kitchen and Living Area
A redesign brings a contemporary city feeling to a traditional suburban house in Texas
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESBright Ideas: How to Light Up Your Rooms
These clever tricks banish dim interiors and dark corners, and usher natural light into the house
Full Story
ToriOriginal Author